Royal R. Ingersoll II
Encyclopedia
Royal Rodney Ingersoll, II (17 December 1913 – 6 June 1942) was an American
junior naval officer, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (1934), who was killed in battle early during the War in the Pacific
.
Ingersoll was born in Manila
, The Philippines, and he was the son of Admiral
Royal E. Ingersoll
, and the grandson of Rear Admiral Royal R. Ingersoll
. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy
in 1934, Ingersoll served on the battleship
USS California
(BB - 44), on the destroyer
USS Cassin
(DD-372), and other warship
s during 1934 - 41, and he reported on board the aircraft carrier
USS Hornet
(CV-8) during her fitting-out (pre-commissioning) period in 1941. Lieutenant Ingersoll served on the Hornet during the critical early months of the War in the Pacific
, including on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo
in April 1942, the Hornets maiden combat voyage.
Ingersoll served on board the USS Hornet during the Battle of Midway
from 4 June to 6 June 1942, in which the portion of the U.S. Navy fleet based in Hawaii
decisively defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN) during its attack on Midway Island
, sinking four IJN Japanese aircraft carriers.
Lt. Ingersoll was killed at his battle station by machine gun
fire from a crippled fighter plane (an F4F Wildcat
) from the USS Yorktown
(CV-5) during its emergency landing on board the Hornet. Its wounded pilot was either unable to, or failed to, cut off its guns.
Four enlisted men on board the Hornet were also killed, and 20 more sailors were wounded in this sad accident.
In 1942, the destroyer USS Ingersoll
(DD-652) was named in honor of both Rear Admiral Royal R. Ingersol and Lt. Royal R. Ingersoll II.
Lt. Ingersoll's father, Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, became the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet
on December 30, 1941.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
junior naval officer, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (1934), who was killed in battle early during the War in the Pacific
War In The Pacific
War in the Pacific is a 2004 two-player turn-based computer war game published by Matrix games. It is a very large, complex, and detailed simulation of the Pacific Theatre of World War II, at both the operational and strategic level....
.
Ingersoll was born in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, The Philippines, and he was the son of Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Royal E. Ingersoll
Royal E. Ingersoll
Royal Eason Ingersoll was a United States Navy four-star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet from January 1, 1942 to late1944; Commander, Western Sea Frontier from late 1944 to 1946; and Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S...
, and the grandson of Rear Admiral Royal R. Ingersoll
Royal R. Ingersoll
Rear Admiral Royal Rodney Ingersoll was a United States Navy officer whose career extended from the late 1860s through World War I.-Biography:...
. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1934, Ingersoll served on the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
USS California
USS California (BB-44)
USS California , a Tennessee-class battleship, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state. Beginning as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, she served in the Pacific her entire career. She was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row,...
(BB - 44), on the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Cassin
USS Cassin (DD-372)
was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second Navy ship named for Stephen Cassin.Cassin was launched 28 October 1935 by Philadelphia Navy Yard , and commissioned 21 August 1936, Lieutenant Commander A. G...
(DD-372), and other warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s during 1934 - 41, and he reported on board the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
(CV-8) during her fitting-out (pre-commissioning) period in 1941. Lieutenant Ingersoll served on the Hornet during the critical early months of the War in the Pacific
War In The Pacific
War in the Pacific is a 2004 two-player turn-based computer war game published by Matrix games. It is a very large, complex, and detailed simulation of the Pacific Theatre of World War II, at both the operational and strategic level....
, including on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
in April 1942, the Hornets maiden combat voyage.
Ingersoll served on board the USS Hornet during the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
from 4 June to 6 June 1942, in which the portion of the U.S. Navy fleet based in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
decisively defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
(IJN) during its attack on Midway Island
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, sinking four IJN Japanese aircraft carriers.
Lt. Ingersoll was killed at his battle station by machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
fire from a crippled fighter plane (an F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
) from the USS Yorktown
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large...
(CV-5) during its emergency landing on board the Hornet. Its wounded pilot was either unable to, or failed to, cut off its guns.
Four enlisted men on board the Hornet were also killed, and 20 more sailors were wounded in this sad accident.
In 1942, the destroyer USS Ingersoll
USS Ingersoll (DD-652)
USS Ingersoll was a Fletcher class destroyer in the United States Navy, serving from 28 June 1942 through 19 May 1974. The Ingersoll was named for Admiral Royal Ingersoll, former Chief of Staff of the Atlantic Fleet in the early 20th century and his son Lieutenant Royal R. Ingersoll II who was...
(DD-652) was named in honor of both Rear Admiral Royal R. Ingersol and Lt. Royal R. Ingersoll II.
Lt. Ingersoll's father, Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, became the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
on December 30, 1941.